"Hey you, you listen," Tom slurred at the bartender, who looked like he was torn between wanting to sell the drunk guy some more booze, and throwing him out before said booze would come splattering down on his somewhat clean floor. In the end, he went with his first option, and poured Tom another mug of beer. The young man lifted it to toast the entire tavern, only spilling a little.

"Lishen," he shouted at everyone and no one. "Brick layin' is for nerds! And so is guarding! Whaddo we guard? Das right, nusshin! Nusshin worth guardin'! What we really need," he continued in a confidential tone, swinging around on his bar stool to face a handsome fellow, who also looked like he had had more than a drink or ten, "are monster hunters. Y'know, brave, lood-gookin' guys like you 'n me, out in the wild slaying beasts before they have a chance to get here!" He smacked his palm on the knee of the other after having finished his little speech. Tom, in his inebriated, newly-fired state, was more than certain that this was the perfect idea for getting some cash. If only he had the perfect partner - the stranger in front of him - everything was going to go with buttery ease.

Jack chuckled and raised his mug in the air in a form of toast to the young man before him. The man's words were beautiful and pumped Jack out of his state of depression. About time someone took notice of him and appreciated his company. Standing on wobbly legs it took him a moment to gain his sense of balance before he wrapped an arm around the stranger's shoulders and said, "You seem like a good sharp young man, my friend, for I am who you say I am."

Roughly releasing the stranger he stood tall his arms out wide in a grand manner, although spilling a bit of beer on the floor. "I am Jack the Giant Slayer! Hero of my homeland and loved by many." He paused long enough to wink at a waitress and chugged the rest of his drink, a few drops of beer running down his chin on onto his shirt. Finishing the drink he wiped his chin with the back of his hand before slamming the mug onto the counter. "Those damn guards are worth nothing. Atleast someone agrees with me," Jack spoke bitterly before looking back to the stranger and waved at the bartender. "Give this man another round on me."

"So, a carpenter, a bricklayer, and a terrible drummer walks into a man's head..."

As much as it sounded like the beginning to a joke, it was anything but that for Tom, who was currently drooling onto a horse blanket he had stolen from - well, a horse. Because there was no one else to steal from in the stable he had somehow landed himself in. A bear-like snore startled him awake, and he shot upwards, howling with pain as he slammed his head into a wooden bar that had sneakily placed themselves above them. Them.

Thomas turned, horrified at the sight that greeted him. There was a man lying in the hay. His shirt was halfway open and slightly askew, his hair messy - and he was snoring happily. It was a mystery how he had managed to sleep through the ruckus Tom had caused, but Tom was more concerned with checking if he was still wearing his pants.

Jack woke from a restful sleep, and although a slight headache greeted him, he's been through worst. Sitting up he smacked his head against the board above him and he groaned as he attempted to rub the pain away. Finally he opened one eye after the other now rubbing the back of his neck for it was slightly tense from sleeping in the makeshift bed of hay. It was then that he noticed another form next to him.

Glancing over he narrowed his eyes on the face of a stranger, trying to connect a name or place he's seen this man before. Unable to place him, Jack looked away oblivious to the fact that the other man had no pants on and instead said, "If there is nothing I can help you with, I would like to ask you to find your own hay stack to sleep in."

"Why don't you find your own haystack," Tom replied, although it wasn't much of a question - he was still a little too occupied by his lack of breeches to worry about finding somewhere else to sleep. Besides, that crossbeam had knocked him right awake. He continued shuffling around in the ankle-deep horse food before finally, with an immense sense of relief, locating his pants.

As he pulled them on, he felt something rustling around in his pocket. A quick dig revealed a small rock, a single golden coin, a couple of teeth and a crumpled piece of paper. Curious, he unfolded it.

I, Jack, sign this paepr becos Thomas is a fine fellllow and monsterhunting is a noble persuit and I will hunt with hm becos we are friends and we will hunt montsers until we die

Tom stared at the note. At the bottom of the page was an 'X'. Painful recollection washed over him as his head continued to pound. "Did you write this?" He asked the man - who was, presumably and hopefully, Jack.

Jack turned his head away in disgust as the man next to him got up butt naked in search of pants. It then dawned on Jack that he just slept through the night with a man who had no pants on. Groaning, Jack brought his head down into his hands wondering how his reputation will fair, he needs to make sure that there will be no misunderstandings among the people.

"Did you write this?" The stranger's voice cut into Jack's thoughts. Jack raised his head to see the stranger holding a piece of paper.

Feigning a sense of calm, Jack got up, glad to find that he was wearing pants, and took the paper scanning the contents. Looking back to the stranger, he smirked and shook his head. "This isn't my hand writing." As insulting as it was for this stranger to not know Jack the Giant Slayer, at least Jack can save his reputation by pretending he wasn't Jack for the next few minutes.

Tom wasn't quite awake enough to be disappointed, but the feeling of an opportune moment fluttering by was still worming its way through his hollow gut. The realization of his generally failed existence was beginning to seep through the cracks in his hangover like tar. He had no money, no job, no skills of note, no family... And no partner, not even an imagined one. Taking the note again, he squinted, unable to tell if it was his handwriting.

"If you say so..." He replied slowly. How was the other man so composed? Well, he obviously didn't just have his last hope in the world shattered, but still. It had been a rough night. Tom stuffed the paper in his pocket again, although he wasn't entirely sure why. With a jolt he realized that this was the last piece of paper he might ever own before he died in the side of the road. Somehow, that seemed very important.

Tom took a few steps towards the barn door, stopping in the entrance to throw a look back at the stranger. He cleared his throat. "Well, uh... See you?"

He did not wait for an answer. Instead, he walked out of the stable, across the street, and slumped down on a bench on the opposite side. His hand was still in his pocket, fiddling the piece of paper. It was the only thing he could think of doing.

Jack watched as the stranger walked out completely disappointed, he didn't know why but Jack could see that the stranger must have hit rock bottom. Maybe the man found his sweetheart wrapped in the arms of some lowly guard scum. Sure that guard had money and a name but Jack truly loved his girl and she left him anyways. The stranger must have had something bad happen to him, far worst than waking up half naked next to another man.

Quickly looking for the rest of his belongings, he stepped out of the barn in search of the stranger possibly named . . . Well he couldn't remember the man's name but it didn't matter, the stranger didn't even get that far and just sat there on the bench across from him. Walking over, Jack crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, trying to look as serious as possible before he spoke with a gruff voice, "You really want to be a monster hunter that badly?"

"Well, I... I'm pretty bored, I guess," Tom replied, too busy being miserable to register who was talking. Either way, he sure was not saying that the real reason he wanted to hunt monsters was because a constable had caught him stealing. From the kitchen, no less, not even something that valuable. Besides, he didn't want to be a monster hunter with just anyone. This Jack he had met last night clearly had a connection with him. It was meant to be. And what had Tom done? He had let that golden chance of a beautiful friendship slip between his fingers to roll around in the hay with a complete stranger. Real clever of you, Thomas, just like everything else you do.

"Jack! Jaaaaack!" A shrill voice cut through the air, and Tom looked up just in time to see a very pretty girl throw herself around the stranger's neck, blonde hair flying from underneath the scarf she was wearing on her head. A basket full of carrots lay abandoned on the ground a little behind her. A passing horse was having a very pleasant day all of a sudden; the man riding it was not.

"I've been looking all over for you for a week, Jack," she whimpered, still looking like she was trying to climb him. "You said you'd been by, but Mother didn't say anything, so she must have sent you away without a word, oh, Jack, she's standing in the way of our love, but it's meant to be, it's meant to be, Jack!"

Tom got up from his slumped position on the bench. The man who had denied who he was earlier really was Jack? He stared at him in disbelief. The girl was still sobbing and clawing at Jack's shirt, and people in the street were turning to look at the scene.

The intoxicating smell of strawberries blew into Jack as Dawn clung to him sobbing. Before, Jack would have fallen into a blind rage at the mere sight of Dawn's tears but he found that he had no heart to help her. He wanted nothing to do with her. The only thing keeping him from shoving this women away from him was the gathering crowd staring at them.

His eyes connected with the stranger from the barn and Jack sighed warily. He had no clue what to do in the current situation. But destroying his reputation will not be one of them. He jerked his head to the side signaling the stranger to follow him, it was up to him if he would comply, before placing a gentle arm around Dawn's shoulders and guided her away from the crowd and behind the barn.

Safely behind the barn and away from curious eyes, Jack roughly grabbed Dawn by her shoulders and demanded, "What are you doing her Dawn?"

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